Hamilton’s school boards say they’ve made some progress addressing a school bus driver shortage.
As a result of offering what they call driver incentives and a complete reorganization of routes, the public and Catholic boards say an expected shortage of 80 drivers has been trimmed to 59 in the mornings and 67 in the afternoons.
Hamilton-Wentworth Student Transportation Services (HWSTS) says it has been able to reorganize routes by removing stops and consolidating runs, after 2,500 students declined transportation this fall and close to 4,000 eligible riders opted to learn at home due to COVID-19.
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Alex Johnstone, chair of the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB), says despite the changes, it is “still in a position where students may experience significant delays” and the search continues for solutions to get them to school on time.
Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board (HWCDSB) chair Patrick Daly adds that it appreciates “the patience and understanding of parents.”
Once the reorganization is completed, bus pick-up and drop-off times will be updated on the HWSTS website by 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 13.
Transportation services will be provided to approximately 9,500 students from the HWCDSB and 14,500 students from the HWDSB.
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